courage – Bonnie Ross Parker

I Dare You

I Dare You to Accept something today you are resisting, blaming someone else for or resigned to. Letting go of how you think it should be is freeing and opens you up to a new and potentially exciting outcome.

I Dare You to find Compassion for someone who hurt you. Remember, they have been hurt as well.

I Dare You to live Courageously and to take a risk. Life was meant to be lived as an adventure.

I Dare You to Forgive today. Picture anger and love on a seesaw, one on each side. As anger comes down, love rises. Choose love and enjoy the ride.

I Dare You to be out-of-the-ordinary Kind to all those that serve you today: the cashier, server, janitor. Watch your life shift as you shift theirs.

I Dare You to be bold with your Love today and tell someone (or more than one) you love them. Maybe someone who hasn’t heard it from you in a while. Why hold back on the most precious thing you could ever give?

I Dare You to live with Passion. No one else on the planet ever will be able to do what you can do, as you would do it. Never before and never again can it happen, just as you would make it happen.

I Dare You to be Present to everyone today. Appreciate something about them as they speak and listen from the heart.

I Dare You to be Peaceful. Living in peaceful ways will naturally bring peace to you, your family and all those you come in contact with.

A change of heart, changes everything. I Dare You.

While I take great pleasure in sharing my own thoughts and experiences here on my blog, every now and then I come across someone else’s ideas that have value worth relating. Here is my overview on something I read recently. The title is “It’s Fine” We all use this phrase more than we probably realize. For example, “How’s work?” “It’s fine.” “How are the kids?” “They’re fine.” “How are you?” “I’m fine.” Of course, I’ve responded numerous times with “It’s fine.” Maybe our answer is simply out of habit. Maybe we give the ‘It’s fine” response because we think the person asking us really doesn’t want to know what’s actually going on.

The bottom line is that many of us simply accept situations that are ‘just’ okay. It takes time and courage to change the status quo, to share what we’re handling because it’s unsettling or because opening up with anything other than ‘it’s fine’ may show our vulnerability and weakness. Responding with “It’s fine” may be one way of protecting ourselves from the truth.

Of course, there is another way of looking at this scenario. I know I’ve held back from really sharing my enthusiasm and good fortune with someone because of what I know about their situation. Telling someone your kids are great, your job is awesome or anything else that brings you joy if that person is hurting feels awkward and insensitive. Seems to me that, being “fine” with what’s going on in one’s life has become an acceptable and standard response.

If, however, you are not fine with the direction of your life, than what is holding you back from making necessary changes? Is it fear? Is it complacency? Is it lack of energy? Do you possess the courage to change what’s not favorable? Do you doubt your resilience? Maybe take a moment to think about the last time you faced a personal challenge. How did you handle the situation? If it wasn’t “fine” what did you do to make it better?

When we settle for less than we want, we trade the possibility of a great future for the reality of an adequate present. We all have the capacity to go from something that’s “fine” to “great”! And, isn’t “great” what we want our life to be?